Gov. Bev Perdue will address the 90th annual NCFBPW state conference lunch and receive the organization’s “Opening Doors Award.” Past recipients of the award include Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, N.C. State women’s basketball coach Kay Yow and Research Triangle Institute CEO Victoria Haynes.
The event is at 12:45 p.m. Friday at the Radisson Hotel RTP, [...]

WASHINGTON (AP) – A senior lawmaker trying to break the logjam on health care overhaul says his committee has come up with elements of a plan that would allow them to produce a bill under $1 trillion that would be fully paid for.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., made the announcement Thursday. Of the [...]

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama says serving the country is the job of all citizens, not just those who volunteer for the military.
Joined by first lady Michelle Obama, the president appeared Thursday at Fort McNair to promote community service. The project this day: loading 15,000 backpacks with books, healthy snacks and toys for children of [...]

RALEIGH, N.C. – Young motorboat drivers in North Carolina would be required to meet minimum boating safety education requirements in legislation approved by the House.
The bill approved Wednesday would obligate people under age 26 to complete an approved boating safety course or pass a test to operate a boat with a motor of at least [...]

FORT BRAGG, N.C.  – Paratroopers in the 82nd Airborne Division task force now serving in Afghanistan can stay in touch with friends and family through a Facebook profile.
The division has announced that word about the profile for Combined Joint Task Force-82 in eastern Afghanistan spread quickly and added 100 fans overnight.
Maj. Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti is [...]

RALEIGH, N.C.  – North Carolina lawmakers are unveiling a proposal for who would pay claims for coastal damage after a bad hurricane season.
The House Insurance Committee on Thursday is considering an attempted compromise on the Beach Plan that’s still unlikely to please property owners or insurance companies.
The legislation is trying to fix the state-created insurance [...]

WASHINGTON  – What is it with philandering politicians?
Why do men in power – the ones on pedestals – think they are above us and can get away with cheating on their spouses, particularly when media scrutiny is so intense and peccadilloes are arguably more politically damaging?
There’s a long list of those who thought they could [...]

RALEIGH, N.C.  – North Carolina Sen. Kay Hagan’s first bill is promoting financial literacy.
The Democratic lawmaker started work on Capitol Hill in January. She said Wednesday her first bill would create grants for states that agree to include financial literacy material into curriculum for students from sixth grade to 12th grade.
Hagan said she wants students [...]

RALEIGH, N.C. – The North Carolina Senate has rejected a bill that would require school administrators to tell parents their child could be paddled at school and allow adults to opt out of corporal punishment.
The Senate voted 25-21 on Wednesday against the bill that would have offered parents in the 55 school districts that use [...]